Our Selection Process

Winners of the President’s Engagement Prize have demonstrated extraordinary exemplification of the Penn Compact 2020’s commitment to local, national, and global engagement. In selecting winners, the President meticulously examines each project’s potential impact as well as the strength of the applicant’s commitment to engagement. This year's project submission deadline is Friday, January 19, 2018.

This Year's Winners

Marcus Henderson (Nu'17) and Ian McCurry (Nu'17)

Henderson and McCurry are integrating innovative healthcare case management into the current program of homeless services offered by the Bethesda Project, a Philadelphia-based nonprofit that provides proactive case management and housing services to the homeless population. Through their work with Bethesda and other key partners, Henderson and McCurry seek to decrease health disparities and increase access to high-quality, person-centered healthcare for this underserved population.

Yaneli Arizmendi (Nu'17), Alexa Salas (C'17) and Camilo Toro (C'17)

Lanzando Líderes (Launching Leaders) is an afterschool youth leadership development program for Latino high school students. The program equips students with the knowledge and skills to become leaders in their own lives and in their communities.

Antoinette Zoumanigui (C'17) and Selamawit Bekele (C'17)

Zoumanigui and Bekele are spearheading Project Y.V.E.T.A., Youth for Vocational Education and Training in Agriculture, a school that will empower the marginalized youth of Senegal called Talibés. In partnership with the Senegalese Ministry of Agriculture, Project Y.V.E.T.A. will provide Talibés with an education focused on improving numeracy and literacy skills while also providing technical training in agriculture.

Kriya Patel (C'16)

Patel is helping women about to be released from Riverside Correctional Facility, an all-female facility in Philadelphia, apply for and secure health insurance and identification prior to release. The health insurance will allow these women to stay on their much-needed medication, which will aid in the reentry process.

Vaishak Kumar (C'16)

Kumar is utilizing cost-efficient technology and novel research to help farmers in India boost their productivity. He is using mobile technology to improve farmer education in India, where the plight of farmers — who represent a significant portion of the country’s labor force — continues to be of great concern.

Katlyn Grasso (W'15)

Grasso is using the President’s Engagement Prize to further her work with GenHERation, a national female empowerment network for high-school girls. GenHERation works to positively impact girls’ confidence and personal development.

Jodi Feinberg (Nu’15)

Feinberg is designing, implementing, and evaluating a comprehensive cardiac rehabilitation model for home care, with the support of the New York University Langone Medical Center and the Visiting Nurse Service of New York.

Shadrack Frimpong (C’15)

Frimpong is establishing the Tarkwa Breman Model School for Girls and Community Clinic in his poverty-stricken home village of Tarkwa Breman, Ghana. The school and clinic will also serve citizens in the surrounding seven villages.

Adrian Lievano (EAS’15) and Matthew Lisle (EAS’15)

Lievano and Lisle are developing and implementing Everwaters, a rainwater catchment and purification system and Kimana, Kenya. Once they install the system, Lievano and Lisle will engage the Kimana community through ongoing support and education.